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Clearly I realize the difference between illegal and legal. I assume you have never visitied SW Kansas. While their are many legal hispanics in KS you will also find illegal hispanics as well. This is true in other states as well. If you know history New Mexico has had Hispanic residents calling the state home for many MANY generations. There IS a difference. I am just being realistic and my opinions are based on experiences I have had in KS considering I have lived in the state for over 20 years.
To give another example the towns in rural SW Kansas are heavily reliant on commercial ag related employment. People in govt there are so desparate for new jobs that they would even consider building a huge coal power plant complex there.
But you're missing my point.
I originally joined this thread telling about how my son, who has a Hispanic mom, was harassed at school for being Hispanic because the people there equated that word with "illegal." I think saying the same words in the same sentence over and over is dangerous.
I do realize this is a bunch of random messages back and forth and much is lost, but see what I mean?
I mean seriously, think about it: are we headed towards "Pass Books" for Latinos in this country?
I'll say no more about this subject unless it relates to my experiences about my "worst town in Nebraska."
On the UP side, maybe it's a good thing that such a long long discussion has come about on a "worst town" thread because some people had experiences with racism, disablism, etc. in a town.
Fifty years ago none of us would be talking about this.
I originally joined this thread telling about how my son, who has a Hispanic mom, was harassed at school for being Hispanic because the people there equated that word with "illegal." I think saying the same words in the same sentence over and over is dangerous.
I do realize this is a bunch of random messages back and forth and much is lost, but see what I mean?
I mean seriously, think about it: are we headed towards "Pass Books" for Latinos in this country?
I'll say no more about this subject unless it relates to my experiences about my "worst town in Nebraska."
I completely sympathize with your situation. Some very small towns often have a very simplistic world view and can make quick generalizations that are not true.
I read a few of the threads from earlier on, but the last few pages really caught my eye, and I'll relate why.
I work for a media outlet out of Sioux City. I took a photog with me to a small town in Nebraska, did my interviews, blah blah blah, and was hit on by one of the residents. What can I say... I'm cute.
The guy who hit on me was an older gentleman, and he was just a total character and I found myself talking to him more and more. He had the faint smell of beer on his breath, and the smell of cigar and Old Spice on his jacket. He reminded me of my grandfather. And because of the beer, he probably would've hit on me even if I looked like his twin brother.
He was entertaining, interesting, and a great storyteller. Later in the conversation as my colleague was off shooting some footage, he very nonchalantly asked if the photographer was my boyfriend.
I said "no," and thought nothing of it, and was told how cheap it was to live in this town, and that it had a great school, blah blah blah. Basically trying to "lure" me there. Not in a bad way, mind you, but extolling the virtues of the town. It sounded like a somewhat practiced 'sales pitch,' but it's common for small towns to do that to get more residents as their populations decline.
I mentioned to my photographer, who was looking to buy a place and settle somewhere permanently, rather than rent in The Dunes that they had houses for sale there, and he said "cool," and walked away to shoot something else. Though I knew realistically that my colleague was a "city boy" and would never think of living in such a small community, I did it as a point of being polite and respectful to this gentleman, as in validating it was a great place to live, and I'll tell others the same, blah blah blah.
The older gentleman I was talking to suddenly had a change in affect. A few minutes later after some small talk about the possible ethanol plant in Elk Point SD and the rising price of gas and cottage cheese, he whispered very softly that the town probably wouldn't be very welcoming of my photographer friend because he happens to be an African American.
His exact words were "I don't think the Colored fella would get along here."
I don't know if this older gentleman was trying to relate his own ethnic biases, or if he was truly and politely telling me that my friend really wouldn't be welcome. My internal question about this seemingly rather nice man's intention bugs me to this day. And I also don't think his use of the word "Colored" had racist implications because of this man's age.
But he added later in the conversation this question: "You're not Jewish, are 'ya?" He then pointed to a house and said "There's a Jewish family..." and I suddenly became uncomfortable, and reached for my cell phone and told him I had a silent ring and needed to answer it. He looked at me incredulously, as I found out later there's really no cell service in this town because of the bluffs.
And this is why the latter part of this thread really caught my attention.
I'm going to play Janet Charlton and/or Michael Musto for a second here: Pourquoi Non? If you speak a little French you'll figure it out. And yes, il est en Cedar. (Forgive me for probably totally butchering a beautiful language.)
Take the story for what it's worth, as it was my first and only time ever visiting this town, and it may have just been the drunken ramblings of a talkative, friendly, and amorous old man. Or, he could've been genuinely relating a cultural norm of the attitudes of this particular community. But I'll add that this is the only time someone actually verbalized something like this to me, and I'm trained to get information out of people for a living. In an era of "political correctness" even if someone had these biases, or just their neighbors, it would never be spoken of because of possible social ostracism, blah blah blah.
I'm choosing to believe this was a kind, caring, wonderful, grandfatherly man who was trying to get me to warn (and I'm hesitant to use the word "warn" because it may imply something that's not really there)my friend rather than the other choice. I'm also choosing to believe that the old man was Jewish himself and was looking for a nice Jewish girl, which sparked that second question.
I told the whole story to my colleague in the car on our way back to Sioux City. I simply asked "Is this town racist?" and he replied "Yes. Everybody knows that."
I don't by any means think it's the worst place in Nebraska because I was only there the one time, and it seemed rather charming, actually, and as much as I love South Sioux the property taxes are ridiculous (that's actually my only gripe about South Sioux), but since they are, it's my current "I hate this place" town, but I can certainly see why minorities wouldn't be accepted in the aforementioned town if what was told to me was really something other than the drunken ramblings of a talkative old amorous man.
Would I ever move to that town? No. Do I think it's the worst place in Nebraska? I don't think that either, but I'm also a cute white Catholic girl from East Texas. From the perspective of someone who has their kid made fun of for using a wheelchair or being Mexican, and all the other stuff I've read on this thread about Cedar, I can see why someone would label it as the worst place in Nebraska.
And in a strange way I really hope it is in fact the same town everyone is talking about because I'm an optimistic person and am hoping that this kind of bigotry (or what seems to be bigotry) really is limited to a very small geographical area.
There's so many nuances and such that go missing in a textual format rather than visual, so thanks for indulging a rather long post. I write, hence, I ramble. My English professors HATED me! lol
I really don't like bringing down a post this long, but it's nessasary to reply to it .
I understand that some areas of Nebraska are prejudice . But for you to be fair in your racial profiling of rural white reporting , you need to go visit some of the cities like Atlanta,Ga. New Orleans, Houston Tx and please don't leave out Miami Fl. ' , if you speak spanish, if not take a translator ' !
Although your university brainwashing may be complete and your mind may have been closed by the liberal professors in most collges now ,you may still learn a thing or two .
I am looking to move to S.Central Ne. soon . A small town where there is little crime [ not found in areas mentioned above ,Mi.Fl.,etc.] ; people still belive in God and know they aren't Him ; I don't have to speak foreign lango to correspond ; representitives don't cater to hate groups ,white or minority .
Don't go as reporter because these racist don't adverstise . go as a 'cute white catholic girl' . Get yourself a rude awakening . Don't go to any of the major cities or some parts of small town without being armed to the teeth or a bodyguard who is !
Good for the old man who understand that racism workd both ways . And for protecting his way of life and understanding that the Bill of Rights and Constitution gives us all the , ' RIGHT OF ASSOCIATION' and to PURSUE happiness, not a guarantee .
Reverse racism is alive and well . I fought for equal rights for minoritys, now I'm fighting for my own .
Also I am partial to Jews because I am Christian, but some jews are very liberal and against my God ,these I don't want living next door to me. let then take their secular anti-American liberal ways to one of the towns above . I'm sure the cities in Nebraska are better for not having an ACLU nearby . All my opinion .
Somewhere around GI or outskirts we are checking out for retirement . Not a white nationalist or liberal area where hate brews and all morals are left at the city entrance ways .
Plains10: Seriously this is what I'm talking about regarding the other issue. Now in this country "Hispanic" is suddenly the same thing as "illegal." I'm not saying you personally are saying that, but when the two words are mentioned in the same sentence so much...
Know what I mean, Vern?
WRONG ! Most 'hispanics' don't work in the fields ! Illegals do . Just like in the past most rich whites didn't work in fields as share croppers , poor Dust Bowl whites did . Same as coal miners now and then .
I don't think you're a bad person, but maybe misguided. Anyone who can joke about a rock group with 'erection' in the title can't be all that bad.
What area do you live in ? Do you fish or hunt , my husband doesn't hunt anymore, he has turned into a hypopcrit animal lover who loves steaks , but can't shoot them , haha ! ?
I just want a sane place to retire, don't care if a spanish family lives there as long as they love my nation, it's culture and language as much as I do . But I have seen what happens when minorities take over cities . They relate back to their homelands and cultures of third world . Not an opinion but A FACT . Move to latino dominated parts of Texas, where it's mostly American born latinos and see for yourself. Third world only 'truthful' description .
I originally joined this thread telling about how my son, who has a Hispanic mom, was harassed at school for being Hispanic because the people there equated that word with "illegal." I think saying the same words in the same sentence over and over is dangerous.
I do realize this is a bunch of random messages back and forth and much is lost, but see what I mean?
I mean seriously, think about it: are we headed towards "Pass Books" for Latinos in this country?
I'll say no more about this subject unless it relates to my experiences about my "worst town in Nebraska."
You choose to be a bi-racial family . Some people like to associate with their own kind, it is not a white thing, ' LARAZA ' and BLACK POWER ,etc..
Nothing wrong with this, but since you 'chose' to buck the raial system, you may have to deal with it. My best friend for 50 years now is an native indian ,we use to be called salt and pepper .
I really don't like bringing down a post this long, but it's nessasary to reply to it .
I understand that some areas of Nebraska are prejudice . But for you to be fair in your racial profiling of rural white reporting , you need to go visit some of the cities like Atlanta,Ga. New Orleans, Houston Tx and please don't leave out Miami Fl. ' , if you speak spanish, if not take a translator ' !
Although your university brainwashing may be complete and your mind may have been closed by the liberal professors in most collges now ,you may still learn a thing or two .
Don't go as reporter because these racist don't adverstise . go as a 'cute white catholic girl' . Get yourself a rude awakening . Don't go to any of the major cities or some parts of small town without being armed to the teeth or a bodyguard who is !
Reverse racism is alive and well . I fought for equal rights for minoritys, now I'm fighting for my own .
Somewhere around GI or outskirts we are checking out for retirement . Not a white nationalist or liberal area where hate brews and all morals are left at the city entrance ways .
Um Ga.Peach- Lois Lane's profile says she lives in South Sioux City and she mentions having lived in Texas. It's likely she has been in hispanic areas many times before, even though she used some French in the post. Did you not know South Sioux City is 25% Hispanic? There's several mexican groceries, etc with signs only in Spanish, and the Wal-Mart there, like most stores has bilingual signs.She only mentioned property taxes as her negative view of the city, so she probably has had no negative issues with hispanic neighbors.
Hiya Nurse. I agree with you on this one about how it can color somebody's opinion of a town, etc. BUT I worked at an Arby's all the way through high school and it was probably better than Lois' McDonald's experience since we didn't make any burgers, but I could be perfectly nice to EVERYONE, and some customer would still find something to complain about.
I hear you ColeSD. That happens in our office, too. The point is we are supposed to be nice no matter what.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ga.Peach
You choose to be a bi-racial family . Some people like to associate with their own kind, it is not a white thing, ' LARAZA ' and BLACK POWER ,etc..
Nothing wrong with this, but since you 'chose' to buck the raial system, you may have to deal with it. My best friend for 50 years now is an native indian ,we use to be called salt and pepper .
What should he do differently? He simply wants some respect for his son, a human being. He does not want his son to be called a "****" or whatever it was. It is not OK to call people names that are ethnic/racial slurs.
My Mother's side of the family came across the pond on the Mayflower.
A good friend of mine, who is Hispanic, had ancestors in N. America at the time my ancestors landed. Who is more American?
Hispanic does not always mean illegal.
GL2
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